The rate of star formation in Andromeda has slowed sharply
Based on observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have determined that the Andromeda Galaxy has significantly slowed the rate of star formation over the past 40 million years. Researchers believe one possible reason for this is the influence of the smaller neighboring galaxy M32, according to Space.com.
The team analyzed data from two Hubble surveys of Andromeda. The telescope made it possible to compile a catalog of 200 million stars, covering two-thirds of the galaxy’s disk. The researchers divided this area into squares with sides of 300 light-years and reconstructed the history of star formation in each square based on the colors of the stars.
About 500 million years ago, Andromeda was converting gas and dust into new stars at a rate equivalent to the mass of the Sun each year. About 40 million years ago, this rate dropped to half the mass of the Sun per year, and today it stands at about one-fifth of the Sun’s mass per year.
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The most pronounced slowdown in star formation was detected on the side of Andromeda closest to M32; it began about 60 million years ago. M32 is located about 16,000 light-years from Andromeda and, according to astronomers, may be the core of a spiral galaxy that has lost its arms.
Researchers speculate that M32 may have collided with Andromeda, though this has not been confirmed. Tobin Weiner, a graduate student at the University of Washington, noted: “We can’t say definitively that we’re observing a decline in star formation due to M32. But it’s nearby, and it’s undoubtedly the most likely suspect.”
More data on Andromeda is expected to be collected in the future by the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in late August.
